Running on Empty
by SallyOn
Summary: After the debacle with the lions at the victory celebration, Keith decides to hunt Black Lion on his own. His decision sets into play a chain of events that will change his life, as well as Allura's and Lance's lives. This story is the precursor to 'All the Right Moves', 'A Knight's Journey' and 'With This Ring'. Rated M for language, and suggestive imagery
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's Note: This is a plot bunny that has been in my head for the last month, as I have worked through Lance/Allura/Keith and their relationship. I briefly touched on Allura's feelings about Keith leaving in Chapter 2 of 'A Knight's Journey'. However, his actions set in motion a chain of events that could not have been foreseen at the time. Lance will be the voice of forewarning in this story, but of course it won't be heeded. I thought the Jackson Browne song was fitting for the story, and the chapter titles come from the song. I chose it because all the players are exhausted from war, and what Wade did to Voltron.**_

_**Running on Empty, Running on Blind**_

It is a week after the Lions went berserk at the victory ceremony to celebrate the defeat of the Drule Empire, and the end of the war. Guided by Sky Marshall Wade, and certain well paid allies, Voltron has been discredited to the Galaxy. The Galaxy Alliance bowed to the directive of the Sky Marshall, and agreed to have the lions imprisoned on Arus. Unknown to them, Wade diverted Black Lion to a secret research facility known only to him and a handpicked group of comrades.

Wade has planned an elaborate gala ball to celebrate the 'New Order' of the Galaxy Alliance. Everyone has been invited, and it is a command performance for all leaders of the Alliance, and planets who want to be invited back into the Alliance. More than one planet bowed to the Drule Empire, to save their people and way of life. These planets, including Pollux are viewed as collaborators to the enemy, and must prove themselves trustworthy again.

_Arusian Embassy on Earth_

"Your Royal Highness, you have no choice in this matter. If you do not attend the ball Arus will face sanctions for your actions. For the good of your people you must go, and you must be friends with the Sky Marshall." Coran was in the study that was given to the Crown Princess when she came to earth. He knew that she was in shock that everything that had happened, and wanted to go confront the Sky Marshall face to face. It was morning, the day before the ball, and Coran and Allura were having coffee together. They had been going over some issues regarding Arus before Coran brought up the subject of the gala.

"Coran, I am aware of that fact as we have already discussed it. I am going to the ball, and I will not confront Wade!" Allura rose up from the desk, and stormed across the room to the large window that overlooked the plaza of the Alliance Complex. She was almost at the end of her physical and mental strength. Three years of fighting the Drule Empire as a pilot, preceded by ten years of war that the Drules had wrecked on her planet had exhausted all reserves.

Her father and two brothers were dead, but just recently she had learned that the daughter of her second brother had survived the wreckage of the Western Dominion Garrison. Lady Larmina's nanny had hid for her over two years in caves, until it was safe to travel with a member of the royal house. The thirteen year old girl was now in residence in the castle, defensive, scared, and belligerent to the point of almost impossible to deal with.

"You were there when all the team discussed it, and the need to go along for now with what Wade is doing. If we can gain his trust maybe we can find out what happened with the lions." Allura sighed heavily, just wanting to go home to Arus and not deal with Wade. "Keith is escorting me to the ball, as you know." She added as she turned away from the window, not having seen the view at all, and walked back to her desk.

"Allura, have you talked to Keith?" Coran asked in a measured tone that caused her spine to tingle with wariness.

"Coran, what are you trying to tell me?" Allura demanded, her blue eyes flashing at time. He looked at her, and thought how unfair it was that someone so young and beautiful had had so much responsibility put on her shoulders. Coran really wished he didn't have to present her with this problem also.

"Allura, Keith let the Embassy know that he would not be available to escort you to the gala celebration." Coran looked her directly in the eye as he informed her of that fact.

"When did Keith do this? And do we know why?" Allura's voice had the cold, hard note in it that meant she was furious that her authority was being ignored.

"Just before I came to see you the Ambassador's social secretary let me know that Keith had left the message early this morning." Coran explained to the young woman sadly.

"What does he think he is doing? We all talked about it, and he knows how important it is! It isn't just Voltron, but Arus too! I need Arus to be in good standing with the Alliance." Allura was practically shaking now, as she thought about what Keith's action would mean.

"Let me see if I can get hold of Lance; maybe he can do something with Keith." Allura told Coran, as she brought up a holoscreen. Lance had been offered the position of Head Flight Instructor for New West Point by Wade. It was a great honor, and tribute to his skills as a pilot; he was the youngest person to ever hold the position. It turned out that Lance was on the flight deck, and couldn't be reached then. Allura decided against leaving message, and she shut down the holoscreen.

"Lance doesn't need to deal with this anyway, Coran. He is busy enough getting used to his new job. I will just go over to GA headquarters, and talk to Keith myself. Please have a hovercar brought around for me." Allura decided, thinking out loud. Coran called down to get the car ordered, while wondering what she was going to say to Keith.

"Should I let Keith know that you will be paying him a visit?" Coran inquired of the young woman with curiosity.

"Absolutely not! I don't want him trying to avoid me. I think surprise is the best plan at this point. Thank you Coran." Allura inclined her head, and he saw the tight look around her mouth that she got when she was very mad.

_Galaxy Alliance Headquarter_s

Commander Keith Kogane was in a small office in the south wing of the large complex. It was a section that was set aside for visiting officers of lower ranks, or officers between assignments to work. A sergeant and two corporals provided assistance as needed, but it was utilitarian at best.

He was pacing the small room, with furrowed brows and a churning stomach. Keith wished he had a window to look out of, and then was sorry he had thought that. All he had to do was agree to what Wade had offered him, and he would have a large office in the main part of the building.

Wade had asked Keith to be one of his Aide-De-Camps, or ADCs as they were known in the GA hierarchy. He understood what the offer meant, in terms of his career. As an ADC to the Sky Marshall he would be on the fast track to promotion to Captain, which would mean his own fleet command. In ten years or less he would achieve the rank of Vice Admiral, and Fleet Admiral after that.

It was a significant honor to be asked to be an ADC, and Keith knew that he should not be hesitating about taking the job. He also knew that his teammates expected him to do it, because it would give him the best access to find out what had happened with the lions. The problem for Keith was that it felt like he was violating his principles by agreeing to work with Wade. There was also the issue of a new piece of information that he had just found out from one of his contacts.

Keith decided that pacing wasn't going to get him anyway, and he went back to his desk. He brought up a holoscreen and tried to review the information about his new job. All that he could see though was Black Lion, and the castle of Arus. It was those thoughts that were interrupted by the buzzing of the intercom "Her Royal Highness, the Crown Princess of Arus wishes to see you, Commander Kogane" the voice announced.

His heart sank when he heard that, and knew that he was going to have to talk to her. Keith had hoped that by dealing with the Embassy staff, he would side step the discussion he didn't want to have. Allura occupied a lot of his mind during day, and his entire mind at night. He had fallen in love the first time he saw her, and watching her these last three years and only intensified his feelings.

She had grown from the young fairy tale princess into a first class warrior, as well as a beautiful woman. Keith knew that she had a crush on him, and saw him as her knight in shining armor. He knew he should have nipped it in the bud, but there was that part of him that loved her intensely. So many times at night Keith imagined what it would be like to be able to take her in his arms and declare his feelings for her, and then kiss her passionately.

In the cold light of day though, he knew that it was not a feasible option. She was the crown princess, destined to be queen, while he was a GA pilot of uncertain heritage. His parents had been brutally murdered in front of him when he was eight years old, and after that he had lived in various foster homes. Keith's parents had not had any relatives, and around the time he was teenager he realized that he knew nothing at all about his parents. At first he was sad, but then he pushed it down, like he did with all his other emotions, having found out that otherwise it led to trouble.

Keith brought his mind back to the present and asked the desk clerk to send Her Royal Highness in. He took several deep breaths, and hoped that he could handle the situation. Allura was the one person who could get to him so easily, and it bothered him on a certain level. He watched her come into the small office, and shut the door behind her, his heart sinking even further as she did so.

Allura was wearing a navy blue suit, with a blouse that had cream colored ruffles down the front. Her shoes were black flats, while her gold hair was pulled back in the front, anchored by her coronet. The blue sapphires in the headpiece echoed the dark blue of her eyes. She looked every inch a crown princess, albeit a very beautiful, young, angry one.

"If I had done what you did, I would have sent a staff member to talk to you, instead of coming myself. However, I am not a coward and like to deal with things head on." Allura stated in a cold formal tone that belied the look in her eyes.

"Allura, I don't want a confrontation on this matter. Please take my word that this is for the best. I am not going to the ball." Keith stood up very straight, and tried to keep his voice calm as he told her of his decision.

"Excuse me, what Keith? How is Wade going to feel about his new ADC not coming to the gala celebration?" Allura seethed as she asked, and Keith saw the fury and the incredulous look she gave him, before she continued "Wade is expecting you, as his new ADC to escort me, the Crown Princess, to this affair. We, the whole team, all agreed that by doing this it would help to earn the bastard's trust."

"I don't think Coran would care for your language, and I know that I don't." Keith observed, surprised that she would use a word like that.

"Have I offended your sensibilities Commander? I don't care if you like it or not, but for your information I can tell you to go fuck yourself in six languages!" Allura glared at him, adding "And don't try to change the subject, Keith!"

Keith sighed, privately thinking that it had probably not been the best influence for a young girl to hang around with four seasoned pilots for all those years. He pondered how to tell her why he had decided what he had, in a way that she would accept and understand.

"Allura, I'm not going to the ball, and I'm not going to take the ADC job." Keith put it out there, and watched as her mind processed what he was telling her. He decided to share with her the piece of information that Pidge had given him.

"Wade didn't send Black to Arus with the other lions. Instead he sent him to some super secret research facility that no one knows where it is located." Keith felt a pain stab his heart, as he thought about Black Lion being gone. After he finished telling her what Pidge had said, she turned around to face the door for a minute.

"Is Pidge sure about this?" Allura whirled back around, staring at him. Pidge, along with Hunk had been offered 'Technical Sergeant' positions in the GA. It was a slap in the face, since both had graduated as officers from New West Point. However, Pidge had, several years back, played a very nasty practical joke on then Admiral Wade, and the man had never forgiven or forgotten. Hunk had helped with the joke, and so was guilty by association. The guys took it in stride though, because as Pidge pointed out they could work under the radar in those positions.

Once Keith assured her that it was true, Allura felt a cold chill go up her spine as she looked at Keith. "What exactly are you planning on doing about it Keith?" She queried him with a worried note in her voice. Keith's sense of right and wrong was black and white, she knew, also knowing how principled the man was.

"I don't know yet, but I will think of something." Keith temporized, not wanting her to know what he really had planned.

"Keith, you can do more to help Black Lion, Voltron, and Arus by taking Wade's job. It will give you high level access to everything he has going on. You will be in a position to find out what you need to know. Plus, I can't have Arus facing Alliance sanctions! My people have been through so much, I can't ask them to give more." Allura was panicked now at what he might do, and the trouble it would cause.

"I am supposed to swallow my pride, convictions, and honor so that I can spy on the Sky Marshall?" Keith spat out, wishing she would understand how that went against every fiber of his being. It went against his code as an officer and a gentleman. It didn't matter how bad of a person Wade was, he didn't want to sink to that level also.

"This is not about you, Keith! This is about Voltron and Arus, in case you have forgotten. The team is counting on you to do your part; we are all doing our part." Allura responded in shock, not believing he was going to let them all down. She stood up very straight, narrowed her eyes, and said in her best royal voice "Keith, I will expect you to pick me up tomorrow at 7:00pm for the ball, dressed in your ADC uniform. You can't turn your back on Voltron, Arus, and your duty to them. That is not the man I know."

Keith watched her open the door, walk out and close it behind her like it was movie in slow motion. He understood what she was saying, and why she was saying it. However, he didn't like how she threw the word _duty _in his face. In his mind, he was doing his duty, by doing the right thing and not going against his principles. There was also the fact that he knew that he was the only one who would be able to find his lion. He decided to talk to Lance tonight about what he was going to do.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Gotta do what you can, just to keep your love alive**_

Head Flight Instructor Commander Lance McClain was thinking that for no one else but Keith would he be sitting in this seedy bar, in the wrong side of town. He had spent the day on the flight deck getting to know the instructors and cadets he would be training. After the first day he already had voluminous notes about the overhaul he was going to do with the program. The good thing about the job he rationalized was that it would keep him busy, and he liked the work. It wasn't flying a lion, and it meant dealing with Wade, but if that was what it took so be it.

Lance prided himself on his pragmatism about life, and what it took to get the job done. He was from an old, wealthy South Carolina family who had served their country and their planet for generations. His father was head of the Galaxy Security Council, while his mother was a distinguished history professor. In her spare time, under a nom de plume she wrote lurid historical romances that made the best seller list routinely. Several had been made into movies, which became blockbusters.

Lance looked at his watch, and wondered where Keith was, as it was almost fifteen minutes past when he should have been here. Since the man was always five minutes early for everything, Lance was getting worried. He ordered another bottle of beer, not trusting the cleanliness of the glasses in the joint. He had on some old jeans, scuffed up shoes, and a faded shirt, hoping to fit in the place. Lance was a cloths horse, and even his old stuff still looked better than what everyone else had on.

"Thanks for meeting me here, Lance." Keith's voice was low in his ear, and he turned around on the bar stool to face his friend. Keith had circles under his eyes, and he looked like he had slept in his clothes. Lance was now very worried about his friend, because while Keith was no style icon, his clothes were always clean and sharply pressed.

"Buddy, you are starting to scare me. What the fuck is going on?" Lance asked almost angrily, trying to process why they were in this dive, and Keith looked like he did. The whole cloak and dagger thing was almost too much for him at this point. He had spent three years winning a war, only to find out that his actions didn't matter. He saw what a confederate ancestor of his had said, in an old journal; you can be right but still be on the wrong side of history.

"Lance, I can't do it! I can't take the job; I have to go find Black!" Keith divulged, stating out loud what he had been thinking since yesterday. The meeting with Allura that morning had only affirmed his conviction that he needed to do this. Keith also didn't appreciate Allura ordering him to do something in her queen voice, as the team called it.

"Good god, we have been all over this, Keith! You as ADC will be in the best position to get the information we need; it is even more critical now that Black is gone." Lance was aghast at what Keith was going to walk away from. His best friend had been offered the plum job, but was being too squeamish to take it. He wondered whether it would be bad form to tell his friend to grow a set of balls, and man up.

"Lance, I am the one best suited to find Black, you know it. He is my lion, and he is part of me. Pidge can use his hacking skills to get more information than anything I might see while working for Wade. You will also be better at being buddies with the man than I would be; he makes my skin crawl." Keith explained, and went on to lay his whole plan out to Lance.

"Have you talked to Allura, Pidge, and Hunk about this? We are a team you know." Lance stated, bowing to what Keith wanted to do. He knew his best friend very well, and while the plan might not make sense to anyone else, for Keith it did. However, Keith had a responsibility to the team and Lance was not happy that the man seemed to be willing to turn his back on that.

"Allura came by my office this morning, after I let the Embassy know that I would not be escorting her to the ball tomorrow night." Keith answered, after a too long pause. That whole conversation had been ghastly, both with what she had said, and how she had said it.

"Pray tell me how that conversation went? I see that she didn't rip your head off – yet!" Lance shook his head, wishing he had been there to witness what had been said. If Allie had felt the need to visit Keith in person she must have been pissed as hell. He chuckled silently, thinking about what she looked like when she was mad.

"She informed me that I was turning my back on the team, Voltron, and Arus, as well as not doing my duty. She then ordered me to escort her to the ball tomorrow night." Keith finished, and Lance wanted to slap the man. He also wanted to give Allie bonus points for throwing that dig in there, about duty. They all knew how important that was to Keith, which was part of the problem.

Lance was aware that Keith was in love with Allura, because he was also in love with her. He kept his feelings hidden better, knowing the crush that she had on their fearless leader. Lance was her best friend, the person she told almost everything to, and the man who knew well. That, plus the fact that Keith was his best friend, were the reasons why he had never spoken to her about his feelings.

He looked at Keith and thought about slapping him up the side of the head. If the man had any sense he would have taken Allura into his arms at that moment and kissed her, which would have solved the whole problem. Well, some of it anyway, Lance mused to himself before he came back to the discussion.

"So all that she knows is that you don't want the job, and you aren't going to take her to the ball. When are you going to tell her that you are leaving?" Lance inquired, fake politeness dripping from his words. He was starting to see where this was going, and didn't like it one bit.

"Lance I thought that you could tell her, after the ball. You are her best friend, and I think you will explain it better. I will talk to Pidge and Hunk after I'm gone, via the old RF codes we used when we first went to Arus." Keith asked, holding his breath as he did so. Leaving Allura was hard, but for the best; leaving her with Lance was a worry he didn't want to think about. His best friend was a notorious ladies man, and he hoped that Lance would respect Allura's innocence.

"In what fucking world do you think I would do that for you? Are you aware of what Allura is going to think when she finds out that you slunk out of town without saying goodbye to her?" Lance was horrified at what Keith was asking of him. He also didn't want to think about Allie's reaction when she found out what Keith had done.

"Lance, please, do this for me! I can't tell her, she won't understand, and she won't listen." The anguish in Keith's voice was easy to hear, and Lance almost, but not quite felt bad for his best friend. His overall feeling though was dislike right now, as he thought of what Keith wanted him to do, and what it was going to do to Allura. He peered at his friend, wanting to be convinced that Keith really understood the ramifications of what he was about to do.

"Are you aware that you will be branded a fugitive? Wade is a vindictive bastard; look at what he did to Hunk and Pidge! He will put a bounty on your head so large everyone in the galaxy will be hunting you. How will you survive all that?" Lance's words were clear and precise, delivered in a very serious tone that he hardly ever used.

Keith heard everything Lance was saying, and how he was saying it too. He knew the meaning behind that tone, and he understood what Lance was trying to do. Keith though had already thought it all out, and he told Lance that now. When he was done with the explanation, Lance had to give Keith credit for what he'd come up with so far, and said as much.

"Keith, fine I'll go along with the plan, and I will tell Allura as best as I can. I just want you to be perfectly clear that you are responsible for the consequences of your actions." Lance declared, taking a deep breath. He knew that this would probably the last time, for a long time, that he would see his best friend. Instead of feeling sadness though, he was feeling disappointment and dislike with Keith, because of what the man wanted him to do. They parted after another around of beers, with Keith promising to be in touch.

"Good luck Keith, I think you're going to need it!" Lance exclaimed, before Keith walked out of the bar. Lance decided to hell with whether the glasses were clean or not, and ordered a double of what the bar said was Irish whiskey. He figured the alcohol would sterilize the glass.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Trying not to confuse it with what you do to survive**_

Allura was getting ready for the ball with Dorcas' help. The woman was her new lady's maid, since she had turned Nanny over to Larmina. The young girl's nanny, who had kept her alive for two years by living in caves, was very sick now. Allura knew that some of the behavior problems they were having were because Larmina was scared of losing the last link to her old life.

"Your Highness, I think you are ready. Is your hair to your liking?" Dorcas asked a little nervously, this being the first time she had done the young woman for a formal occasion. Dorcas' mother had been a lady's maid, and she had been trained to do the same job. It had been an honor when she was hired, and a big promotion from her last job.

Allura looked at herself in the mirror and smiled. Her hair was arranged in an elaborate up do, anchored with a delicate tiara of pearls and small diamonds. The original plan had been for her to wear the larger diamond 'lions paw' tiara for the gala. Coran though thought it would look better not to flaunt that many diamonds when Arus needed help in rebuilding. He said it was important that Allura look like royalty, as Wade would expect that, so the pearl tiara was a compromise.

Her dress was flowing white chiffon, ornamented with delicate gold embroidery and ribbon at the neck, waist, and hem. Pearl earrings, necklace, and a bracelet completed the look, which was soft, polished, but regal.

She tried to keep her mind on how she looked, and not on the conversation that she'd had with Keith yesterday morning. Allura had not talked to anyone about it, other than to tell Coran that she had spoken with Keith and he would be taking her to the ball after all. She had meant to talk to Lance, but had never had the chance. It would have been interesting to hear Lance's take on Keith's behavior.

Last night she'd gone over to the Polluxian Embassy, to see Bandor who had come into town. Bandor was here to remind Wade that it was his father and brother who went along with the Drules, while he was commanding a squadron for the Alliance. He was very scared about what Wade could do to Pollux, and had wanted Allura to put in a good word for her cousins. She'd had to tell him that she wasn't sure she was going to be able to help Arus, considering how Wade felt about Voltron.

"Dorcas, it looks perfect! Thank you so much for your help." Allura smiled at the woman, glad that she was working out so well. She had actually wanted a lady's maid for the last year, but Nanny had not wanted to relinquish control of her. Larmina's coming had been a blessing in so many ways, and she knew that once the girl settled into her new routine things would calm down. Allura talked with Dorcas a little longer, and then went down to the sitting room, to wait for Keith.

At twenty minutes past 7:00pm she was still waiting for Keith, scared and angry at the same time. When Coran came in at 7:25 she knew her worst fears were going to be realized. The man was going to throw everything away, and turn his back on the team, for a personal quest. Allura knew how highly principled the he was, but was finding hard to believe that Keith would put them all at risk with his actions.

"Allura, I don't think Keith is coming, and you can't keep the Sky Marshall waiting." Coran informed her, holding out his arm. He was dressed in his formal diplomatic uniform, decorated with his medals and Arusian awards. Coran watched her get a tight set look to her mouth, as she raised her chin proudly. The man hoped that Keith knew what he had done, standing Allura up like this.

"You are right, Coran. Let's go." Allura stated calmly, knowing how important this evening was to Arus. Her people needed her, and she knew that she couldn't let Keith's actions hurt her Kingdom. Coran breathed a sigh of relief that she was being sensible about the whole thing. He was also very worried about what Keith might be up to.

Lance was at the ball in his new Galaxy Alliance full dress uniform that his tailor had managed to make in record time. He felt naked without the gold lion badge, with its scarlet ribbon, around his neck though. There were several new medals that he had been awarded, which he wore proudly, but the loss of his lion still hurt. That was why he went along with what Keith wanted to do; at least he knew that Red was safe in his volcano on Arus. Keith had no idea where Black was at all, and Lance knew how it was affecting his friend.

He was also waiting for Allura to arrive, and see what her reaction was. Lance was still surprised that she had not contacted him after her conversation with Keith. It was a relief that she hadn't because he needed to keep quiet until Keith got out of town, and Allura would have had the whole story out of him in less than ten minutes. He was still worried about what she was going to do to him, when she found out that he had gone along with Keith's plan.

Just then he looked over and saw Allura and Coran come into the room, and greet the Sky Marshall. Lance thought Allura looked exactly like a princess should, regal and proper. He though often fantasized about taking her shopping for the kind of clothes an eighteen year old girl should wear especially a sexy black cocktail dress and high heels. Lance had no doubt that she would look smoking hot in something like that, and of course she would be on his arm. Sighing, he put the image out of his mind and decided that he needed a drink before he faced her.

"Your Royal Highness, how lovely of you to come tonight. Lord Montrane, an honor to have you with us." Sky Marshal Wade bowed to Allura as he kissed her hand. It took everything to let him to do it, and not yank it away, especially when she felt his tongue licking the spot he was kissing.

"Sky Marshall it is my pleasure to be here. It is going to be a lovely evening I'm sure. Will you be able to dance with me later?" Allura responded in honeyed tones, trying to remember how badly Arus needed this man's good will.

"The honor will be all mine, Your Highness! I am a little puzzled though as to why Lord Montrane is escorting you and not Commander Kogane as I was told." Wade asked with a suspicious look in his eyes. Allura had been waiting for this, and was glad that she and Coran had worked out a plausible explanation to give Wade.

"Commander Kogane left a message at the Embassy that he would meet me here, as he had several things to take care of." It wasn't lie really, because Keith had called the Embassy. She watched as he bought the story, and nodded his head in understanding. They chatted a couple more minutes and then excused themselves.

"I wish I could drink in public!" Allura declared in a low voice, after they were out of earshot, and then added "Coran, I swear that when I find out what Keith has done I will damn well kill him." The older man agreed, not even bothering to correct her for cursing.

It was later in the evening and she was finally dancing with Lance, hoping to get the chance to talk to him. They had briefly greeted each other when she first arrived, but then they'd been placed at different tables for dinner. Allura had noticed that Lance was sitting between two beautiful women, which she knew would make him happy. She didn't understand why she felt sad for a bit that she wasn't sitting next to him, but decided she was just missing his company.

"Did you behave yourself during dinner Lance?" Allura had a teasing note in his voice, already knowing the answer to the question.

"Allie you know me better than that!" Lance laughed in her ear, as he pulled her a little closer. One of the reasons he loved dancing with her was the excuse it gave him to hold her. Lance had enjoyed flirting with the women he'd sat with at dinner, and would probably follow up with one of them. They were single, available, and very willing he had seen. None of that changed his feelings for Allie; rather it was how he dealt with them.

His father had just the other day made the comment that if Lance could have the woman he wanted; he wouldn't need to sleep with every other female he came into contact with. Lance sometimes wondered how his dad always knew what was going on with him. He then remembered his mother telling him once that his dad had been the same way, until he met her.

"After this dance could we go out on the terrace, to get some fresh air?" Allie snuggled a little closer to Lance, as close as she dared in public. He felt so good, and she didn't understand why he had the effect on her that he did. Lance tried not to think about her body against his, as he wondered if what she wanted to talk to him about was what he suspected.

When they got outside they found a spot away from the other people on the terrace, and she told Lance all about her conversation with Keith. She also told him what excuse she'd given Wade, for why Keith wasn't escorting her. Inwardly thinking hateful thoughts about his best friend, he looked at the beautiful young woman standing next to him. She was so perfect, and so brave in all she did, he thought. If anyone deserved good things in their life it was Allie, and he wished he could give them to her.

"Allie, we can't talk here. Can I come see you tomorrow afternoon?" Lance responded to her, hoping to buy him, and Keith, some more time.

"Lance, of course. I would love to see you, and we will have more time together." Allie smiled up at him, thinking how handsome he was. Of course, not like Keith, but still good looking and lots of fun, she reminded herself. They went back inside, where they separated and Allura didn't even get the chance to say good night to Lance.


	4. Chapter 4

_**KathDMD: Allura isn't done telling Keith off yet, but in this chapter she does it differently and Lance helps.**_

_**Honey you really tempt me, the way you look so kind**_

Lance presented himself at the Arusian Embassy five minutes early for his meeting with Allura. He was in his GA uniform, and the armed guards saluted him as he entered the building. She had sent him a note in the morning, formally asking him to tea that afternoon. It was so different from the castle on Arus, where he could just stroll into her study anytime he wanted. He understood though that she was the crown princess, and her position needed to be respected.

He was greeted by name, and spent several minutes chatting with some of the personnel, knowing them all very well. The butler showed him into a formally decorated parlor, and said that he would fetch Her Highness. Lance was tempted to tell the man to take his time, not looking forward to what was ahead of him. He also wondered if she had heard the rumors going around GA headquarters, about Keith.

His non-appearance at the ball last night was noted and commented on, and when he had not come into work by noon the rumor mill shifted into high gear. He, Hunk, and Pidge had already been questioned briefly, but Lance knew that wouldn't be the end of it. He was also sure that Allie would be put on the spot, and he needed to warn her about that.

"Lance, thank you for coming!" Allie came into the room and gave him a big hug in greeting. Lance put his arms around her in response, and wished it didn't have to end. She stepped back just as the butler and a footman brought the tea cart into the room. "Markus, thank you for this. I will serve tea myself, and could you shut the door please?' Allura informed the butler with a smile, and he inclined his head in response.

Once the door was shut, she sat down on the sofa and motioned for Lance to sit next to her. He looked at her closely and noticed that while her pink flowered dress was cheerful, her blue eyes weren't. The dark circles under them didn't help either.

"What the hell has he done Lance?" Allie almost wailed, and Lance looked at her with sorrow. His dislike of Keith putting him in this situation ratcheted up several degrees as he looked at her pale face. He knew that Allura had a major crush on Keith, who was always the perfect knight, above reproach, until today. Lance understood what was driving Keith to undertake the mission, but wished for once Keith could see the impact his need to _do the right thing_ had on the people around him.

"Our fearless leader has gone on a personal quest to find Black Lion himself. Pidge, Hunk, and I will provide whatever support we can, using Wade's G&A resources." Lance went on to tell her everything that Keith had told him, and then waited for her reaction. He watched as a thoughtful look came over her face as she pondered what he had just told her.

His heart fell when he saw her eyes get very wide as she asked "So he is gone? He didn't even bother to say goodbye to me?" Lance saw the tears well up, and he put his arms around her and pulled her against his chest. Allura inhaled his scent, slightly spicy and musky which stirred her on a primal level that she didn't understand, as she felt the stiffness of his uniform shirt against her face. A wave of exhaustion over took her and before she could stop them the tears started to flow.

Lance held her and stroked her hair, just letting her cry. He felt her arms go around his waist, as her tears soaked his shirt. He decided that this was easily one of the worst moments of his life, and he hated Keith for putting him through it. He laid his head against hers, and murmured very softly, as he continued to stroke her hair. He knew how exhausted she was because he was coming from the same place.

Three years of non-stop fighting, too much death, and too much destruction takes its toll on a person. Then to find out that everything you did, everything you achieved, winning a war and defeating an evil empire was for naught. The lions that had helped you achieve the great victory were turned upon by the very people they had saved. Lance let the exhaustion and sadness flow from his body, as the tears flowed from Allie's. He cleared his mind of everything but the way she felt, the concern she had for him, and for Voltron.

Allura, after the tears stopped, stayed in Lance's arms enjoying the warmth and support she felt. So much of the time she felt alone, but never when she was with Lance, especially now. She had not realized, until just then, that Lance was as tired and worn out as she was. No one would ever know except her, because of the face he showed to the world. Allie stopped feeling sorry for herself, and felt bad for her friend, this kind man.

She was going home to Arus, but Lance had to stay and work with Wade. It was even more critical now that Keith was gone. The man was Lance's best friend, yet he had dumped all the responsibility on his friend's shoulders. She wondered if Keith had given any thought to the ramifications of his decision to go pursue Black. Her anger at Keith intensified as she thought about what he had done to all of them, especially Lance.

Allie moved her face away from the wetness on Lance's shirt, and found a dry spot that she rubbed her face against. All that she knew was that she wanted to hold him, and protect him. Lance felt what she was doing, and almost bit his tongue as he stifled the wave of desire that rushed over his body. He decided that as good as it was to hold her; he needed to break it off before he did something he would regret.

"Allie, we need to talk about what you are going to tell Wade when he questions you." Lance instructed her as he removed his arms and set about making her a cup of tea. Allura suddenly felt very cold without his arms around her, and didn't understand what he was saying. She took the tea cup, and drank several swallows before her brain started to work again.

"What do you mean; Wade is going to question me? Why would he do that?" Allura exclaimed, feeling a cold chill going up her spine.

"He has already briefly questioned the rest of us, and he knows that you went to see Keith at headquarters day before yesterday. You need to have a plausible story ready for your actions, and you can't let on that you knew that Keith wasn't going to take the ADC job." Lance informed her, and then told her about his questioning session.

"Allie, I think you need to stick to the truth as much as possible. Wade already knows that Keith called the Embassy, and said that he wasn't going to escort you to the ball, right?" Lance looked at her, and she nodded her head. "Ok then, you tell Wade that you went to find out from Keith why he did that, and that you were mad about it." He offered her, but she looked at him quizzically.

"Lance, what am I supposed to tell Wade that Keith said though, without letting the secret slip?" She asked, not sure if she was going to be able to do this. Her mind was numb, still trying to process Keith leaving without saying good bye to her.

"Simple, my dear. You will tell Wade that Keith was upset about the rumors going around regarding your relationship with him. He didn't want to add fuel to the fire by taking you to the ball. You can say that you had words, left in a huff, and haven't spoken to him since. It is very plausible, as there has been a fair amount of speculation, you know." Lance was referring to the various gossip columns and newsfeed reports about her relationship with Keith.

Allura had been shocked the first time, after they arrived on earth for the victory celebration, when she saw an item about her and Keith. The story had snowballed from there, and every time there were together anywhere, pictures were taken of them. The speculation about the nature of their relationship had been discussed in great detail, much to her embarrassment. It made a difficult situation even harder, because she did have feelings for Keith. Allura wasn't sure what his feelings were, but she did know that he hated being talked about in that fashion.

Coran had ordered the Embassy personnel to not comment if asked, hoping that tactic would calm the gossip. Instead, it seemed to intensify the scrutiny on her and Keith by the press. It was almost comical, since Allura was never in public alone with Keith, but always with the team. After she'd gotten over the initial discomfort though, she would joke about it with the rest of team. Well, all but Keith who would get a distasteful look on his face when the subject came up. She had, at the time, hoped that the look of distaste was for the publicity, and not the thought of a relationship with her.

"That is certainly the truth!" Allura exclaimed, and then had a thought that caused her to almost stop breathing. "Lance, what is the press going to say when they find out that he is gone? What are they going to say about me?"

Lance looked at her, and saw that she was all set to start crying again, and he really couldn't blame her. The press would have a field day with the story, about how Keith ran out on her. He knew that Allie would hate being portrayed like that, and decided that a preemptive strike was in order.

"Allie, we are going out to dinner tonight, and then dancing. Both places will be very expensive and very high exposure venues." Lance had a satisfied smile on his face, as the thought of his plan. It took care of so many difficulties. She looked at him like he had lost his mind though.

"Why are we going out? I don't want to go out! I want to take a bubble bath, and hide under the covers." Allie wailed, thinking that this was one of the worst days of her life. Lance took her tea cup from her hands and set it down on the table. He reached over and took one of her hands, as he looked at her.

"We are going out for several reasons, my dear. First off, you need to be cheered up and I love your company. We will laugh and enjoy ourselves Allie, because I want to be with you. Of course we will be photographed, which will make all the newsfeeds tomorrow. Keep in mind that you and Keith never went out on a date like we are going to do, so that will push the media into a frenzy about our relationship. It will also put to rest any of those stories about you and Keith." Lance explained, still holding her hand, which was making her heart race.

"Us being seen together will also help me with Wade," Lance went on "I am going to have to work twice as hard to win his trust, now that Keith has pulled this stunt of his. Wade is an unprincipled sleazebag, you know. He will figure that I am not upset about Keith leaving, as it gives me an open field with you. He will also give me bonus points for moving in on you so quickly, because that is how the man thinks."

"Lance, I do like your company and I guess it will cheer me up to go out. I also see your point about how it will kill the stories about my relationship with Keith. I bet the press writes it up that Keith left because I am with you." Allie struggled to sound happy, knowing that Lance's course of action was the best way to deal with the situation. At the back of her mind though, she wondered what Keith would think when he saw the pictures and the story. She then remembered how he had left town without even saying good bye to her.

"What time do you want to pick me up? I think I need to do some shopping." Allura declared brightly, deciding that she would give those reporters, and Keith, some eye popping pictures.

"That's my girl! I'll see you around 6:30 then? Dressed to kill, of course!" Lance stood up, happier than he had been in the last couple of days. After Lance was gone Allie sat in the room alone for several minutes, thinking about their conversation. She could still hear Lance saying 'I want to be with you' and for some reason it made her very happy.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Everyone I know, everywhere that I go**_

Sky Marshall Wade paced the floor of his large office, stopping to enjoy the view from the picture window. The office was on the top floor of the main building of the Galaxy Alliance Headquarters, and the view was of San Francisco harbor. The historic Golden Gate Bridge still spanned the water, even though it had not been in use for almost a hundred years. Wade also liked being able to see Alcatraz island; he admired the idea of the prison.

He stared at the island, and then thought of his own private prison, remote and secure. Not only did he have his enemies there, but he also had Black Lion now. Years ago he had sworn revenge on Voltron, and he had finally achieved it. As he thought that, the image of the Black Lion pilot came to mind. The man had been missing for at least twenty-four hours, if not thirty-six hours and Wade wanted to know where he was.

"Sir, you wanted to review your schedule?" An orderly had come into the office, and was standing expectantly by the desk. He was new to the job, as Wade went through orderlies at a fast clip, being very difficult to work for.

"Corporal Hansen, yes I do. Have you confirmed that the Crown Princess of Arus will be here on time?" Wade almost snarled as he spoke to the nervous young man. Wade didn't think this one was going to last too long.

"Wade, you have some nerve, ordering royalty to your office. I hope you know what you are doing!" Vice Admiral Huxley had come into the office just then. Frank Huxley was way beyond retirement age, knew where all the bodies were buried, and was totally unimpressed by Wade. He was loyal though, and the Sky Marshall knew that he needed the man's acumen.

"Huxley, we have a 'new order' now in the galaxy, and it has nothing to do with royalty. They need what the Alliance has to offer their planets, so they will come when I call. I am looking forward to having the pretty little princess making nice to me." Wade snickered, and then added in a snide voice "After her I get her cousin, the Polluxian king. Now, he will do some major groveling, let me tell you. His daddy chose badly, by siding with Zarkon."

"Do you really think the princess knew what Kogane was going to do? Or where he is?" Huxley asked, privately thinking it would be a waste of time. If it was anyone else but Wade the older man would think the Sky Marshall had other intentions in wanting to talk to the beautiful princess.

"Kogane called the Arusian Embassy the day before the ball, and later that morning the princess came to see him at his office. I want to know why she did that, and what they talked about." Wade stated simply.

"What are your feelings about Stoker, Garrett, and McClain?" The older man inquired, and watched Wade get a dismissive look on his face.

"Stoker and Garrett know nothing, I'm sure of that now. And as far as Lance, well he might know something but I don't think he is upset that Kogane has skipped town. Haven't you seen the newsfeeds?" Wade enjoined, as he brought up a holoscreen and searched for what he wanted.

_This is Entertainment Today, the Galaxy's most watched entertainment news source. Well we have hot gossip for you today, concerning the Arusian Crown Princess. She has been the subject of speculation about a romantic relationship with Commander Keith Kogane, who used to command the Voltron Force. However, it seems that Commander Kogane is not the one romancing the lady, but his second in command, Commander McClain. _

_Lance McClain, son of Andrew McClain, head of the Galaxy Security Council, and the beautiful Crown Princess were seen out last night on a date. After dinner at the very exclusive La Folie restaurant, the couple was spotted dancing the rest of the evening at the members only 'Club Mezzo'. As you can see from the pictures that we were able to get, the couple looked quite happy. The princess was dazzling in a royal blue cocktail dress that showed off her figure; much to Commander McClain's delight we are sure. Stay tuned for more updates about this developing romance._

"I'd heard Commander McClain was a ladies' man, and he sure didn't waste any time with the princess. I always thought he was one of those honorable types, you know." Huxley observed with an amused chuckle.

"Lance is aware which side his bread is buttered on, trust me. I have given him a top job, and he knows it. And Huxley, don't forget that nothing comes between two men faster than a beautiful woman." Wade laughed loudly as he said it.

In the waiting room Allura was doing her best to seem calm and relaxed, even though she wasn't. Coran had been horrified that Wade had summoned her to his office, but she reminded her advisor that they had to go along. Coran was also in a bad mood because of all the press that had been generated after her 'date' with Lance. Allura had explained Lance's reasoning, and at the end he understood but he wasn't happy about it.

Allura had been surprised at how much fun she and Lance had ended up having. Over dinner he had told her some funny stories about him and Keith at the Academy. She had been impressed with the places Lance took her, and how they were treated. Lance was very sophisticated about food, wine, and night life she found out. He made her feel special in a way that she'd never felt before, even with being a princess.

They had danced for most of the evening, and she had not gotten back to the Embassy until after midnight. Lance had told her that they had to show off her new dress, which he thoroughly approved of. It wasn't black, but it was a lot sexier than anything she'd ever worn before. He knew that every man was envious of him, and he hoped that his best friend would eventually see the pictures. Lance considered it payback for what Keith had made him do. He also enjoyed being able to take Allie out and have a good time. He thought with satisfaction that he had done something Keith hadn't been able to do.

"Your Royal Highness? The Sky Marshall is ready to see you." Allura was brought back to the present by the orderly talking to her. She was tempted to make a retort about being kept waiting for almost half an hour, but then she thought of Arus. She stood up, smiled nicely, and followed the man into Wade's office.

"Your Highness, thank you for meeting with me here. It is so hard to get away; otherwise I would have come to you." Wade intoned silkily, and then inquired "Did you enjoy your evening with Commander McClain?"

"It is not a problem for me to come here Sky Marshall, as I know you are a busy man. Yes, Lance and I had a lovely time." Allura smiled, while she wished she could slap him. She hated the smug, superior look he had on his face as he talked to her.

"As much as I would love to hear more about your evening, I need to get down to business. Did you know that Keith Kogane has disappeared?" Wade's voice took on a staccato tone as he asked the question.

"I know that no one has seen him for the last day and a half, but I don't know the reason why." Allura averred in a calm voice. Years of Coran's training were coming in handy now, she thought to herself.

"You went to see him at his office the day before the gala ball – why?" Wade barked at her, and she could see how hard and narrow his eyes were. Allura knew that she had to be pitch perfect to get anything past the Sky Marshall in his present mood.

"Keith had left a message with my Ambassador's social secretary, saying that he would not be able to escort me to the ball that evening. There was no explanation as to why, and it annoyed me. I figured that if I tried to call him he wouldn't answer, so going to see him in person seemed the best way." Allura hoped she had the right amount of indignation in her voice as she talked to Wade.

"May I ask what you talked about with Commander Kogane? Your relationship?" Wade leaned across the desk, and she could smell his sour breath.

"My relationship with Keith existed in the newsfeeds, nowhere else. Coran had requested that he escort me to the ball because he thought it would be appreciated on Arus. When I spoke to Keith he told me that he was very upset with all the speculation and gossip about us, and didn't want to add more fuel to the fire by taking me to the gala." Allura made it a point to slightly raise her chin, to show what she thought of his excuse.

"I'm afraid I lost my temper with him, and we had words. I left his office rather upset with him, as you can imagine." Allura finished up her story, and tried to look Wade casually in the eye as she did so.

"The gossip and speculation didn't bother you, Princess?" Wade challenged her with a menacing stare. He was impressed that the young princess kept her composure so well, and he was willing to believe that what she was telling him was the truth. It did sound like something the so upright Kogane would say, in his opinion.

"If I paid attention to everything written about me, Sky Marshall, I would get nothing done. You, yourself, are a public figure and you know how those gossip reporters work. If they can't find anything real, they just make something up." Allura smiled in sympathy at Wade, as she flattered his ego. He took the bait and preened himself just slightly, at the idea of being a public figure.

Wade then got back to the subject at hand, and looked at Allura thoughtfully before turning in his chair, to stare out the window. She sat there quietly, wondering if he was done or would there be more questions. She was glad that Lance had prepped her for this, because she wasn't sure if she could have handled it otherwise.

"You really knew nothing about Kogane's plans to flee?" Wade whirled around as he threw the question at her. He wanted to make sure that she had not been involved in the traitorous bastard's plans. By now he rather doubted it, as he thought about how quickly she had taken up with McClain.

"Keith has left? He didn't even say good bye to me!" Allura hoped she had the right amount of surprise and anger in her voice. She was definitely angry about how Keith had left like he had. Her mouth tightened as she thought of what he had done to the team, especially Lance.

"What did he say about the job that I offered him? Wasn't he pleased with it?" Wade twitched his nose as he asked the questions. He had seen the tightening of her mouth as she realized what Keith had done. At the back of his mind he wondered if the man had run out of fear of what the princess would do to him. Wade looked at her with renewed interest as he had those thoughts.

"He said that it was great honor, and it would put him on the fast track to making Admiral." Allura replied truthfully, remembering what Keith had said about the offer.

"Kogane in fact was pleased with the thought of making the rank of Admiral?" Wade cocked his head like this was a new piece of information.

"Sky Marshall, at the end of the day I really don't know what makes Keith happy. He spends a lot of time by himself, reading, and working. I am disappointed that he would turn his back on his team members, and the Alliance like this. It seems out of character." Allura tried to sound like she was getting bored with the issue, while conveying that she would not stand with Keith based on his actions.

"Your Highness, I am sorry to have put you through this, but I needed to make sure of where your loyalty was." Wade informed her after almost five minutes of silence, which to her seemed like an hour or longer. He was sure that Keith had blindsided her like he'd blindsided everyone else. Of course everyone else wasn't the crown princess of Arus, Wade reasoned. He wondered what Allura would do to the man when he turned up. The thought gave him some enthralling visions of Allura in black leather with a whip.

"I will tell you now, before I announce it this afternoon at the legislative session. Ex-Commander Keith Kogane will be branded a fugitive of the Alliance, and a sizable bounty put on his head. Can I trust you and your people, that if he returns to Arus you will turn him over to me?" Wade's words were precise and carefully spaced as he looked right at her. He wanted to see how far she would go, to secure the aid for Arus.

"Arus will cooperate fully with the Alliance, and honor the warrant. If Keith shows up he will be arrested and held until GA officials can pick him up. My planet has been at war for over thirteen years, and we need peace, Sky Marshall. Harboring a known fugitive and traitor would do nothing for us." Allura sat up straight, put her 'queen' face on, and answered him in dulcet tones.

"Capital, I knew that you were a sensible woman Princess! In return for your loyalty and support, I will be glad to lend assistance to you in the rebuilding of Arus. I will even personally visit to make sure that everything goes well." Wade looked at her with admiration and Allura suddenly felt very dirty about what she had done. Only by thinking of her people did she mange to answer the repulsive man.

"Sky Marshall, thank you very much. Your generosity will mean so much to my people, and of course you are welcome any time to visit." Allura gave him an encouraging smile as she replied to him. They talked for a little longer, and she managed to put in some kind words about Bandor's work on behalf of the Alliance. As she walked out she saw her cousin sitting in the waiting area, and she gave him a hug while whispering encouragement in his ear.

Coran was waiting for her at the Embassy, and wanted to know what had happened with Wade. Before she told him though she walked over to the drinks tray, and found a bottle of whiskey. Last night, before she and Lance got out of the car at the restaurant she had panicked about going through with their plans.

Lance took a silver flask out of his jacket pocket and passed it to her, telling her to drink it. The first swallow had burned, but the next two had tasted smooth. He told her that it was Irish whiskey, which he thought was the best kind. As she looked at the selection now, she didn't see anything Irish, only Scottish. Hoping that it was close she poured some into a glass, and drank it in one gulp. Allura didn't care that Coran looked shocked at what she was doing, as she made the mental observation that Lance was right about the Irish stuff being better.

Allura told Coran everything the Sky Marshall had said, including the offer of aid for Arus. When she finished telling him the story Coran went and poured himself a stiff drink of Arusian brandy. After swallowing it in two gulps, he poured himself another glass, along with more scotch for Allura. They talked about Keith being gone, and then turned their attention to matters about Arus. That night it took Allura a long time to fall asleep, as she thought about Keith and his actions.

Three days later, after saying good bye to Lance, Pidge, and Hunk she returned home to Arus. It was time to put the Kingdom back together, and take care of her people. She worked very hard not to think about Keith, except sometimes late at night. When the boys would come to Arus, or she would go to earth she made it a point, with one exception, never to ask about Keith. She preferred not knowing where he was, or what was happening with him.

Keith had not yet left earth when Sky Marshall Wade was questioning Allura. In fact, he hadn't even left San Francisco, preferring to hide in plain sight. However, his hair was cut and dyed, while the color of his eyes had been changed with contacts. He was staying at a rundown hotel in the old 'Barbary Coast' area of the waterfront. Keith knew he couldn't contact Lance, Hunk, or Pidge until the hunt for him had died down.

Mansett, an old friend who had a sideline business smuggling various cargo, had promised him a ship by the end of the week. Keith was killing time by catching up on his reading, and mapping out his strategy. He decided he needed a break, and walked over to a bar that was down the street. It was the middle of the day, and the place was deserted with the exception of the bar tender.

The man got him a bottle of beer, and they chatted for several minutes before Keith's attention was caught by the holoscreen over the bar. The newsfeed was showing a picture of Allura and Lance, dressed up for an evening out. His eye was caught by the dazzling blue dress that Allura wore, which highlighted her great figure. Keith was surprised, never having imagined her in something like that.

He watched the newsfeed as the reporter talked about the date that Allura and Lance had gone on. Keith picked up that the restaurant was top notch and expensive, while the club sounded very exclusive. He tried to persuade himself that Lance was just trying to cheer Allura up with the evening out, but a small part of his brain wasn't buying it. They looked very happy together, he thought sadly, rather hurt that his friend had wasted no time with Allura.

Keith thought about Allura every night in the coming years, and wished he hadn't needed to do what he did. In so many dreams he saw her blue eyes accusing him of turning his back on his duty to the team, to her, and to Arus. He hated those dreams the most, of all the ones he had. The other dreams were visions of what Wade was doing to Black Lion, and he would wake up in a cold sweat from those.

That night, as he lay in bed, Keith saw the newsfeed report in his mind, and the pictures of Allura and Lance. For the first time, but not the last, he questioned whether he had made the right decision. The question would haunt him for the next five years, along with his fears for his lion.

_**Finis**_


End file.
